John Deere Tractor

1955 Chevrolet Cameo Pickup Truck

Owner: Denise Soracco - Seymour CT

Cameos were produced from 1955-1958. More than 5,200 were sold. In 1955 a regular pickup sold for $1,400, while the Cameo cost $1,835. This is the first General Motors pickup with no outward visible running boards. This flashy new model pickup was available in 1955 only in Bombay Ivory with bed interior and highlights painted Commercial Red.

This Cameo was 1800th off the production line. It was registered in southern Califoria and Abliene Texas. Denise purchased it from a Banker in Texas on an Ebay Auction. It was in excellent original condition.

Article on Hemmings Motor News about the 1955-1958 Chevrolet Cameo

1944 Clark Forklift Car Loader

Owned by: Strollo Bros. & Sons Inc. Cheshire CT

Military Issued with US Stamped Sides

• Lifts 4000 lbs at 18 inch load center
• 129 inch mast high
• 42 inch forks
• fl24 Continental Engine
• Thermo Vacuum Cooling System (No Water Pump)
• Original Color was OD Military Green

• 1944 Shipped to Maryland in May of 1944 and was used to load Bomber aircraft such as the B-52's
• 1970 Purchased by Roger Sherman and painted Red with Gold lettering
• 1978 purchased by Wayne Hankin who overhauled the motor and stored the machine as a collectible
• 1999 Wayne Hankin was moving to Florida so he gave the machine to friend Roger Strollo of Strollo's Towing to restore
• 1999 Roger Strollo of Strollo's Towing restored and repainted Fork lift to Strollo's Red. Forklift was used as light duty inside shop and around yard.
• 2007 Put on display at Golden Age of Trucking Museum

Birch Bark Canoe

Owned by: Nonnawauk Tribe #9 Seymour CT

This canoe was an early way of transportation for American Indians of this region. This canoe is approximately 100 years old and was built by the canoe builder, Louis P. Sock of Old Town, Maine. It is being displayed with 2 original one piece carved oars. The Nonnawauk Tribe #9 of Seymour CT was established in 1886. The tribe is a Lodge, similar to the Mason's or Oddfellows, which dates back to the Boston Tea Party. The early settlers dressed as Indians and dumped tea into the sea. This canoe hung from the ceiling in the tribe's lodge and during meetings if a member cursed or caused a scene, the sachem (the chief), would fine the member and he would be ordered to throw a penny, or whatever the fine was, up into the canoe.

1939 Chevrolet Woody Wagon

Owner: John Toland
New Canaan CT

1920 Model T Ford Pickup Truck

Plumbing Truck

4 cylinder, 20 Horse Power, 25 Miles Per Hour

In the bed of the pickup truck there is a circa 1800 bathtub that was taken out of a house in Bethelehem CT

Owned by: Paul Molzon - Bethelehem, CT

1939 Ford 1/2 ton Bell Telephone Truck

This was the 1st year Ford had hydraulic brakes. The Bell Telephone Company bought the trucks and had their boxes installed. The boxes were made by York Hover Company of York, PA. This box was an SL box and a splicer truck. The boxes were reused on many other trucks. The rear fenders were 1935-1937 Ford pickup fenders. This truck has benn completely restored to its original condition and has National AACA 1st Junior, Senior and Preservation awards. The Bell Telephone slogan was put on every dashboard:
NO JOB IS SO IMPORTANT AND NO SERVICE SO URGENT THAT WE CANNOT TAKE TIME TO PERFORM OUR WORK SAFELY
BELL SYSTEM

Owned by: Arthur Goodrich, Pittsfield MA

1950 Ford Panel Truck

1974 Dodge CNT950 BigHorn

After Dodge ended the production of their own proprietary diesel-powered trucks in 1942, and converted commercial production to military, they basically remained gasoline oriented until the early 1960’s.

At that time Dodge introduced their C900 short conventional  model. Although available with gasoline engines, the majority of  the heavier duty C900’s were powered by Cummins  and later GMC (Detroit) diesel engines. With  a short sloping hood and swing out front fenders, the C900 was a popular, reasonably priced heavy-duty model, in both single and tandem axle versions. Along with the later “L” model  high  cabover engine series, the C900 remained in production until Dodge withdrew from the heavy-duty truck market in 1975.

In the early 1970’s, design began on what would be Dodge’s  largest and last entry into the class 8 market. This was the CNT 950, widely known as the “Bighorn”. Introduced in 1973, only 261 “Bighorns” were built when all heavy duty production ceased in 1975. It is thought that 60 or 70 of these vehicles remain to this day, with perhaps half of those in operating or show condition.
The Museums “Bighorn” is thought to be part of a fleet of 18 originally owned by FINA Oil Company in Texas. The original specs of the truck matched FINA’S “Plain Jane” fleet: NTC  290 Cummins engine, 10-speed RoadRanger transmission, 38,000 pound spring transmissions. This truck  matches the FINA specs.

This “Bighorn” was in very poor condition when Richard Guerrera acquired it from a used truck wholesaler in Kansa City, in 1993. There was extensive body damage. The logo and large numerals on the cab indicated that this Dodge had performed heavy-duty truck oval racing circuit, which was once active in the south and southeast.

The tractor sat in the rear yard for over a year until a complete in-house restoration began in the summer of 1994. At that time, the truck was completely disassembled, with many parts  eventually discarded.

Everything starts with a frame. In these case, new longer rails were acquired and a new frame assembled. With the frame completed, the original front and tandem rear axles were rebuilt and reinstalled. One of the few short comings of this project was the retention of the Hendrickson spring suspension versus the installation of the air-ride suspension. To this day despite the 245” wheelbase, and the addition of  heavy-duty shock absorbers to all wheel positions, this truck is a very hard rider on anything less than as smooth road surface.

The extended “Bighorn” tilt hood was salvageable, and after some extensive bodywork, was ready for reinstallation.  The cab was very rough, but since most Dodge conventional of the 1960’s and 1970’s shared the same cab, a better cab from a smaller Dodge D500 gas job was obtained. In addition to the finish bodywork on this cab, the in-house craftsmen fabricated a complete “Bighorn” dashboard, including full instrumentation. To finish off the cab, integral  air conditioning was installed, and a Kenworth box sleeper was mounted.

A rebuilt Cummins  855 cubic inch NTC350 “small cam” engine was installed, replacing the original 290. Included at this time was a 3-stage Jacobs engine brake. The 350 was later “boosted” to a vocational setting of 420 horsepower.
The original 10-speed was replaced with a Fuller RTO 12513 13-speed overdrive transmission. With the addition of 11-24-5 rubber (on polished aluminum wheels) the original 4:11 rear axles deliver a top speed in excess of 80 MPH.

After being repainted in the “R. J. Guerrera, Inc. fleet maroon,” new polished fuel tanks, battery boxes, and running boards were mounted. Final touches included dual chrome 5” straight exhaust stacks producing that great Cummins “turbo” sound.

The project was completed for the 1995 show season. This tractor has since appeared at many A.T.H.S. shows, including Toledo, Greensboro,  Valley Forge, Reno, and Kansas City, serving as a trouble-free prime mover, transporting other show vehicles. Whether at a national, regional, or local show, the “Bighorn” always draws much interest. It’s especially popular among those “non-truck nuts” who do not realize that the Dodge division ever built trucks such as these.

1954 Diamond T 951S

The 1954, 950-series  Diamond T is a large tractor which has served as one of Dick Guerrera’s prime movers for many years. A longtime favorite of those familiar with the collection, this tractor has carried many antique trucks to shows throughout the country.  The longest trip was  a 6,750-mile trip from Connecticut to Portland Oregon to attend the 1992 A.T.H.S.  convention. This trip included a slight detour to attend an A.T.H.S.  chapter in Missouri.

In this model  “951S” the “1S” indicates that this tractor was originally powered with an 844 cubic inch 280 horsepower supercharged Buda diesel engine. It was in service in Phoenix, Arizona as a non-sleeper tractor pulling  dump trailers. The original  driveline consisted of a 5-speed overdrive main transmission backed with a 3-speed overdrive auxiliary,  coupled to Timken worm-drive tandem rear axles.

This tractor was purchased by an antique truck  buff from Nebraska in the early 1980’s. By that time, the Buda engine had been replaced by a Cummins NH 220, and a 4-speed overdrive auxiliary was in place of the original 3-speed overdrive auxiliary overdrive transmission. The tractor then went through an extensive restoration and modification. The engine was replaced with an 855 cubic inch  Cummins  Big-Cam NTC-350, with both overdrive transmissions remaining in place. The Timken rears were replaced with a modern Kenworth 4-spring suspension and Rockwell  rear axles with 3.90 ratio. These were mounted on a frame extended to provide a 245 inch wheelbase. A 36 inch sleeper cab was added, the brightwork refinished or replaced, the interior was completely refurbished, and the unit was then painted blue.

In early 1990, this tractor was purchase by Richard Guerrera and became an early addition to a growing collection. After participating in a single show and tour, the truck was taken  out of service for further modification. At that time hydraulic  power steering was installed to replace  the existing air steering. In addition, a high-capacity integral air conditioning  system was installed. The existing Cummins NTS 350 was upgraded to a  vocational rating of 450 horsepower. Brightwork was refinished or replaced, and the entire  unit was then painted maroon, the “fleet color” of R. J. Guerrera, Inc.  In 1996, the 36 sleeper was replaced with a larger 42 inch sleeper.

Except for a minor problem with a transmission bearing, this tractor was been in reliable prime service since 1992, traveling many thousands of miles. With the ride provided by the long wheelbase and upgraded  suspension, driver comfort, ample horsepower, and extremely high gearing, this tractor  quickly becomes a favorite  of anyone who has had the enjoyment of driving or riding in it.

1924 Model TT Truck

Owned by John Fuhrman. Southington CT

This truck was originally sold by Southington’s first Ford dealer: Doc. Powers. It was used as a farm truck to deliver produce to Bristol CT three times a week. John’s dad, the late Fred Fuhrman, was the third owner of this truck which was  always used in Southington CT. It was restored to its original condition in 1993 by Fred and his sons. Fred showed his Model TT at the museum from 2002 until his death in 2003. We are very pleased to have Model TT back and our guests will be too.  We will always remember Fred Fuhrman fondly here at the Golden Age of Trucking Museum.

1912 Autocar Transit Bus

1912 Autocar 2 cyl Transit Bus Owned by Dick King, Redding CT

1879 Moyer Buggy Runabout

This carriage was built by the H.A. Moyer Company located in Syracuse N.Y.

1885 Surrey

This 1885 Surrey with fringe on top was purchased new by a gentleman in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. A fantastic “Barn Find” it was recently discovered in the attic of a barn  in Sandy Hook where it had been stored for over 90 years.

1923 Model T Ford Tank Truck

Construction mostly oak
approx. 150 gal. tank cap.
4 cyl. Motor, speed about 22 mph
transmission: 2 forward, 1 reverse
headlamps 2 phase 6V and 3 oil burning coach lamps
1st tank truck BP oil of Canada